diff --git a/include/utils/Parcel.h b/include/utils/Parcel.h
index 9087c44..af1490a 100644
--- a/include/utils/Parcel.h
+++ b/include/utils/Parcel.h
@@ -80,8 +80,11 @@
     status_t            writeStrongBinder(const sp<IBinder>& val);
     status_t            writeWeakBinder(const wp<IBinder>& val);
 
-    // doesn't take ownership of the native_handle
-    status_t            writeNativeHandle(const native_handle& handle);
+    // Place a native_handle into the parcel (the native_handle's file-
+    // descriptors are dup'ed, so it is safe to delete the native_handle
+    // when this function returns). 
+    // Doesn't take ownership of the native_handle.
+    status_t            writeNativeHandle(const native_handle* handle);
     
     // Place a file descriptor into the parcel.  The given fd must remain
     // valid for the lifetime of the parcel.
@@ -114,12 +117,11 @@
     wp<IBinder>         readWeakBinder() const;
 
     
-    // if alloc is NULL, native_handle is allocated with malloc(), otherwise
-    // alloc is used. If the function fails, the effects of alloc() must be
-    // reverted by the caller.
-    native_handle*     readNativeHandle(
-            native_handle* (*alloc)(void* cookie, int numFds, int ints),
-            void* cookie) const;
+    // Retrieve native_handle from the parcel. This returns a copy of the
+    // parcel's native_handle (the caller takes ownership). The caller
+    // must free the native_handle with native_handle_close() and 
+    // native_handle_delete().
+    native_handle*     readNativeHandle() const;
 
     
     // Retrieve a file descriptor from the parcel.  This returns the raw fd
diff --git a/libs/ui/Overlay.cpp b/libs/ui/Overlay.cpp
index b236edc..59c6514 100644
--- a/libs/ui/Overlay.cpp
+++ b/libs/ui/Overlay.cpp
@@ -129,12 +129,8 @@
 OverlayRef::~OverlayRef()
 {
     if (mOwnHandle) {
-        /* FIXME: handles should be promoted to "real" API and be handled by 
-         * the framework */
-        for (int i=0 ; i<mOverlayHandle->numFds ; i++) {
-            close(mOverlayHandle->data[i]);
-        }
-        free((void*)mOverlayHandle);
+        native_handle_close(mOverlayHandle);
+        native_handle_delete(const_cast<native_handle*>(mOverlayHandle));
     }
 }
 
@@ -147,7 +143,7 @@
         uint32_t f = data.readInt32();
         uint32_t ws = data.readInt32();
         uint32_t hs = data.readInt32();
-        native_handle* handle = data.readNativeHandle(NULL, NULL);
+        native_handle* handle = data.readNativeHandle();
 
         result = new OverlayRef();
         result->mOverlayHandle = handle;
@@ -169,7 +165,7 @@
         reply->writeInt32(o->mFormat);
         reply->writeInt32(o->mWidthStride);
         reply->writeInt32(o->mHeightStride);
-        reply->writeNativeHandle(*(o->mOverlayHandle));
+        reply->writeNativeHandle(o->mOverlayHandle);
     } else {
         reply->writeStrongBinder(NULL);
     }
diff --git a/libs/utils/Parcel.cpp b/libs/utils/Parcel.cpp
index 0f4b647..e74ad4a 100644
--- a/libs/utils/Parcel.cpp
+++ b/libs/utils/Parcel.cpp
@@ -650,28 +650,26 @@
     return flatten_binder(ProcessState::self(), val, this);
 }
 
-status_t Parcel::writeNativeHandle(const native_handle& handle)
+status_t Parcel::writeNativeHandle(const native_handle* handle)
 {
-    if (handle.version != sizeof(native_handle))
+    if (handle->version != sizeof(native_handle))
         return BAD_TYPE;
 
     status_t err;
-    err = writeInt32(handle.numFds);
+    err = writeInt32(handle->numFds);
     if (err != NO_ERROR) return err;
 
-    err = writeInt32(handle.numInts);
+    err = writeInt32(handle->numInts);
     if (err != NO_ERROR) return err;
 
-    for (int i=0 ; err==NO_ERROR && i<handle.numFds ; i++)
-        err = writeDupFileDescriptor(handle.data[i]);
+    for (int i=0 ; err==NO_ERROR && i<handle->numFds ; i++)
+        err = writeDupFileDescriptor(handle->data[i]);
 
     if (err != NO_ERROR) {
         LOGD("write native handle, write dup fd failed");
         return err;
     }
-
-    err = write(handle.data + handle.numFds, sizeof(int)*handle.numInts);
-
+    err = write(handle->data + handle->numFds, sizeof(int)*handle->numInts);
     return err;
 }
 
@@ -928,7 +926,7 @@
 }
 
 
-native_handle* Parcel::readNativeHandle(native_handle* (*alloc)(void*, int, int), void* cookie) const
+native_handle* Parcel::readNativeHandle() const
 {
     int numFds, numInts;
     status_t err;
@@ -937,31 +935,15 @@
     err = readInt32(&numInts);
     if (err != NO_ERROR) return 0;
 
-    native_handle* h;
-    if (alloc == 0) {
-        size_t size = sizeof(native_handle) + sizeof(int)*(numFds + numInts);
-        h = (native_handle*)malloc(size); 
-        h->version = sizeof(native_handle);
-        h->numFds = numFds;
-        h->numInts = numInts;
-    } else {
-        h = alloc(cookie, numFds, numInts);
-        if (h->version != sizeof(native_handle)) {
-            return 0;
-        }
-    }
-    
+    native_handle* h = native_handle_create(numFds, numInts);
     for (int i=0 ; err==NO_ERROR && i<numFds ; i++) {
         h->data[i] = dup(readFileDescriptor());
         if (h->data[i] < 0) err = BAD_VALUE;
     }
-    
     err = read(h->data + numFds, sizeof(int)*numInts);
-    
     if (err != NO_ERROR) {
-        if (alloc == 0) {
-            free(h);
-        }
+        native_handle_close(h);
+        native_handle_delete(h);
         h = 0;
     }
     return h;